Curtain and counterbalance for book and other cases.



No. 816,496. PATENTED MAR. 27, 1906.

A. MCKENZIE.

CURTAIN AND GOUNTERBALANGE FOR BOOK AND OTHER GASES.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 27. 1904.

INVENTOR flnyus MUG: z'e

ATTORNEY strips, preferably of metal and hinged todescription here.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANGUS MCKENZIE, OF CANTON,'OHIO.

CURTAIN AND COUNTERBALANCE FOR BOOK AND OTHER CASES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 27,1906.

A lication filed December'27, 1904. Serial No. 238,278.

To (tZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ANGUS MCKENZIE, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Canton, in the county of Stark and State-of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Curtains and Counterbalances for Book and other Cases; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a art of this specification, and to the numera s of reference marked thereon, in which p Figure 1 is a vertical section of the case and illustrating the curtain and the different parts belonging thereto. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the case. Fig. 3' is a view showing a portion of one of the-curtain bars or slats and illustrating the spring contact-flange secured thereto. Fig. 4 is a detached view of one of the sliding heads. Fig. 5 is a view of one of the sliding heads shown in the o 0- site position from the one illustrated in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a view showing a portion of the back channel and guide-bar.

The present invention has relation to ourtains and counterbalances for book and other cases, the curtain-designed to close the front of the case when moved in one direction and to open the front when moved in the opposite direction and at the same time-to provide such mechanism by means of which eavy curtains will be balanced regardless of difference in the weight of the curtain as between the portion of the curtain in the back or front of the case.

The case 1 is formed of any size, reference being had to the sizeof the case designed to be constructed. The end members of the case are provided with the curtain-guide grooves 2 and into which grooves the ends of the curtain-slats 3 are entered. The curtainslats 3 are formed of comparatively narrow gether, so as to produce a flexible structure, the hinging ofthe slats being accomplished by bending or folding the lateral portions 4 and 5one upon the other and the inner one folded around rods 6. This construction, however, being common, needs no detailed A sufficient number of slats 3 are joined together to form a curtain or cover of the desired length, and of course the length will depend upon the height and width of the case designed to be constructed. The end bars or slats 7 and 8 of the curtain are hinged to the next adjacent slat and move with the curtain proper. The slat 7 is provided with the opcrating handle or knob 9, and when the operating handle or knob is brought down to its lowermost point the curtain'proper will be in 'such a posltion that the case Will be closed, and that part of the curtain constitutes the front or forward portion thereof. The slator bar 8, located upon the opposite end of the curtain from thatto which the knob 9 is attached, is provided with the double-flanged contact-plate 10,- which is for the purpose hereinafter described.

Upon 'the back of the case proper and about midway between the ends of the case 'with the'flanges 16 and 17, to which flanges are attached the springs 18 and 19, the flange 16 having the top or u per end of the spring 18secured thereto an the flange 17 having the bottom or lower end of the spring 19 se-. cured thereto, and the o posite end of .each

sprin is secured to the xed plate or flange 20, w 'ch fixed plate or flange is secured to the channel-bar 11. The sliding heads 14 and 15 are each provided with the strike plates or flanges 21 and 22, which are located 1n the path of the travel of the double-flange plate 10.

The operation of my im roved'device is as follows: Assuming that t 1e ease proper *is closed or the curtain proper drawn down to its lowest limit which carries the knob 9 toits lowest point, the rear-portion of the curtain will be elevated and the upper portion of thedoubleflange 10 brought into contact with the strike-plate 21, thereby elevating the spring 18, which gives tension to the spring. and checks'the upward movementof the rear portion of the curtain, the spring acting as acounterbalance after the plates 10 and 21 have come together. When it is desired to open the case, an upward pull of the knob 9 will remove the weight of the curtain, so

that the spring 18 willact in such a manner as to start the front portion off the curtain upward and pull the rear portion thereof downward to .a point where the double-flange plate will leave the strike-plate 21, at which time the curtain will substantially balance itself, and if the rear portion of the curtain continues downward and the front portion upward the lower flange of the double-flange plate 10 will come in contact with the strikeplate 22, carrying the strike-plate 22, together with its sliding head and the flange 17, downward, thereby giving tension to the spring 19 and causing the spring to exert its energy to lift the curtain, the tension of the spring, however, being so adjusted that it will not overcome the weight of the curtain which has shifted from the front to the back part of the casing. It will be understood that by this peculiar arrangement the spring will act to prevent a sudden downward movement of the curtain, and thereby prevent any thud of the curtain, or, in other words, the spring 19 acts to cushion the drop of the curtain, and the spring 18 acts in the same manner to cushion the drop of the curtain when it is brought into position to close the case. In other words, the upper spring cushions the drop of the curtain when moved in one direction and the lower spring cusl1 ions the drop of the curtain when moved in the opposite direction, and at the same time said springs act to overcome the weight of the curtain when transferred from the front to the back of the case, and vice versa.

The sliding heads 14 and 15 are each provided with the bent flanges 23, which flanges are so formed that open grooves will be provided, and into which open grooves the flanges 24 of the channel-bar 11 are entered, the formation being such with reference to these parts that the sliding heads will move freely up and down when actuated by the movements of the curtain proper. It will be understood that the curtain will be easy of movement, owing to the fact that the lower spring 19 has a tendency to lift the back portion of the curtain when a downward pull is given and the upper s ring 18 will have a tendency to pull the bac part of the curtain downward when the curtain is brought into position to close the front part of the case, thereby giving the curtain an easy action in either direction when at its eX- treme movement. For the purpose of reducing the friction of the curtain toothed idlers 25 may be employed, the teeth of which engage the lateral joined portions of the curtain-slats. In the drawings I have illustrated but one idler but it will be understood that idlers may be located at both of the upper corners of the bookcase, if desired, or the idlers may be dispensed with entirely, if desired, as this is only a matter of judgment and not invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letter's Patent, is

1. The combination of a case, a curtain consisting of slats pivotally joined together, a vertical bar, sliding heads mounted on said bar and provided with strike-plates, a double-flanged contact-plate secured to one of the slats and located intermediate the strikeplates, and springs actuated by the movement of the sliding heads, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In a case of the class described, a flexible curtain adapted to be elevated and low ered upon the front and rear sides of the case, a vertical channel-bar, sliding heads having lateral flanges mounted on said bar, strikeplates secured to the sliding heads, a doubleflanged plate secured to the curtain and located intermediate the strike-plates, a fixed plate intermediate the flanges on the heads, and springs located between said plate and the respective flanges, said springs being actuated by the movement of'the heads, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. The combination of a case, a curtain therefor adapted to be shifted from front to rear, a vertical bar located in the back of the case, a sliding head mounted upon the vertical bar and provided with a strike-plate, a plate securedto one of the curtain-slats and adapted to strike the upper side of the strikeplate carried by the sliding head by the downward movement of the slat provided with the plate, and aspring adapted to cushion the curtain, said spring actuated by the movement of the sliding head, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two Witnesses.

ANGUS MCKENZIE.

Witnesses:

AUSTIN GUIRLINGER, CHAS. W. KING. 

